The 2006 San Francisco 49ers NFL Draft Preview

Head Coach: Mike Nolan

Strengths: Quarterback

Needs: Offensive line, Wide Receiver, Running Back, Tight End

Offense, offense, offense. The 49ers need it next year, and may spend their early picks in the draft to get it. Alex Smith had no one to throw to and no one to run the ball, and with a mediocre line, Smith took the brunt of pass rushes and blitzes in 2005. Don't be surprised if the majority of picks in the draft go to offensive players. Coach Mike Nolan has already said he intends to rebuild the 49ers through the draft, not free agent signings. That could be a flawed line of reasoning, after all, most Super Bowl teams can boast a mix of solid draft picks and deft free agent signings. Until the team returns to contention, fans can only rely on the draft for help. This year, the 49ers have the sixth and the twenty-second picks in the first round, and have a unique opportunity to get impact players that could change the face of the team's offense in 2006.

There is a possibility that the 49ers won't spend the sixth pick on an offensive player. That early in the draft, teams tend to take the best player available regardless of team needs. If Ohio State linebacker A.J. Hawk is still on the board at #6, the 49ers will take him. Hawk would dominate in a 49er gameplan and give the defense some serious bite. However, chances are Hawk goes to Green Bay at #5, which means, in all probability, San Francisco takes Maryland tight end Vernon Davis. Davis would be a perfect fit for the team. Alex Smith was blitzed to death in 2005, and one of the best ways to stop that is to have a reliable set of hands just past the blitzing linebacker that a quarterback can spy for a quick dump off pass. A defense only needs to be burned on a blitz a couple of times before they change tactics. Having Davis would also provide another good run blocker on a line that needs to stop someone.

With the 22nd pick, things get a little more interesting. If, by chance, the 49ers do not take an offensive player at #6, they must take one at #22. Even if they take Davis, the 49ers will have a shot at getting Santonio Holmes of Ohio State or Chad Jackson of Florida, the two best receivers in the draft. Either would give San Francisco the speed it needs.

The Niners are attempting to get Smith some help on the line, including signing former Cowboy Larry Allen, but spending a second or third round pick on a tackle would be wise. The addition of Antonio Bryant at wide receiver will also help spread opposing defenses next season. Frank Gore and Kevan Barlow will have to step up at running back.

The Niners don't have a second or third round pick, so they need to be careful of whom they take with the third pick of the fourth round (100th overall). An offensive lineman would be ideal; it's doubtful Jeremy Trueblood, a tackle out of Boston College, will still be available. A guard like Mark Setterstrom from Minnesota may have slipped to this point and would be a good choice.

While the Niner defense is better than the offense, it still needs help. Bryant Young is still a solid player with eight sacks last season, but at 34 his best years are behind him. Having a complement on the opposite side of the line, either at end or linebacker, will keep teams from running away from Young. The 49ers have made no significant free agent signings on defense, so expect them to concentrate on defensive players with their later picks, hoping to find a diamond in the rough. Linebacker Derek Smith is a key leader on defense, and will need to show the "ropes" to the young players coming in.

With a lack of picks in early rounds, the Niners' options are limited. Fans can only hope they draft smart and their new offensive players can outscore their opponents in 2006.